1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus and process for fluidization of powdered solids. The apparatus and process provides intermittent feeding of controlled amounts of solids with or without a pressurized carrier gas to any further processing, such as a chemical reactor or an internal combustion engine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Transfer of powdered solids through ducts or conduits is difficult due to rheology of the solids. Transference of powdered solids becomes even more difficult when quantitative feeding of the powder is desired to be provided in intermittent quantitized discharges. Flow of powdered solids cannot be controlled in the same manner as fluids. Densification of powdered solids, while improving the continuum quality greatly increases friction between particles which leads either to solidification of a bulk of powder or causes decrease in the powders flowability to unacceptable levels. Control of effective particle size of powdered solids is a problem, especially upon storage of micronized powders. The very small solid particles tend to agglomerate through hydroscopic or electrostatic action. Storage and handling of most fine powders causes the particles which were initially comminuted to the desired small sizes to become agglomerated with the resulting agglomerates considerably exceeding the desired size.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,265,199 teaches a vaporizing injector for injecting fuel into a combustion chamber. While this patent discusses liquid fuels, it does refer to making substantially a vapor of a powdered fuel. The vaporizer of this patent operates by centrifugal action dependent upon a rotor provided with blades which conform closely with the casing and throw the material to be vaporized against the casing walls and force it between the blades and adjacent walls to more thoroughly break up the material. The vaporizing injector is taught to be suitable for feeding a carburetor and does not provide intermittency of the feed delivery. U.S. Pat. No. 1,696,475 teaches an internal combustion engine in which volatile dust is supplied as fuel and has a rotating fuel agitator brush positoned above a fuel control gate valve to cleanly sweep the valve and screen to prevent clogging and at the same time, agitate the fuel dust to insure a continuous regular flow through the valve. U.S. Pat. No. 2,836,158 teaches a typical fuel feed system for a solid fuel burning engine wherein a feed screw is mounted in a coal feeder tube arranged to feed pulverized coal to the intake manifold. The screw has a section of fast thread to move the fuel rapidly causing the fuel particles to separate and prevent caking.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,510,423 and 861,362 disclose typical apparatuses for atomizing liquid fuels.